CCBC to Launch Welding Training Center with $1M Grant to Help Rebuild the Key Bridge

Backed by the Baltimore Community Foundation, the new center will train welders essential to Key Bridge and regional infrastructure projects.

BALTIMORE, Sept. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) is proud to announce the receipt of a $1 million grant from the Baltimore Community Foundation (BCF). This funding will enable CCBC to expand its welding program by establishing a new 12,000-square-foot Welding Training Center on its Dundalk campus — a crucial investment in educating the next generation of welders. The program aims to expand Maryland's skilled workforce to support the rebuilding of the Francis Scott Key Bridge and contribute to other critical infrastructure projects across the region.

The grant comes from BCF's Maryland Tough Baltimore Strong Key Bridge Fund, which raised $16 million to support recovery efforts following the collapse by awarding grants to organizations providing direct relief, aiding small business recovery, strengthening community resilience and honoring the bridge's legacy and the tragic results of its collapse.

"The Welding Training Center is an innovation that marks a commitment to develop a pipeline of qualified welders who will contribute meaningfully to long-term economic opportunity and resilience," said Dr. Shanaysha Sauls, President and CEO of the BCF. "We're proud to support the Community College of Baltimore County's vision to build a state-of-the-art facility in the footprint of the Key Bridge that prepares a highly skilled future workforce for regional needs and careers. 

The U.S. faces a significant skilled labor shortage, particularly in welding. The American Welding Society (AWS) projects a national need for 330,000 new welding professionals by 2028, driven by an aging workforce, fewer young people entering skilled trades and the increased demand from infrastructure modernization and renewable energy initiatives.

Committed to meeting this demand, CCBC will prepare students across multiple levels of welding expertise, equipping them to assist in the rebuilding of the Key Bridge and supporting other vital projects in the Baltimore region.

According to Lightcast labor market data, skilled trades offer quality jobs and significant economic mobility, with welding, soldering and brazing workers in the Baltimore region earning a median wage of $57,209 in 2023 — well above the national median of $48,294.

"Investing in our workforce means investing in our county, helping residents secure good jobs so they can provide for their family, prepare for their future, and contribute to their community,' said County Executive Kathy Klausmeier. "This generous grant from the Baltimore Community Foundation will enable CCBC to train the next generation of skilled welders to rebuild the Key Bridge and add to our region's legacy of innovation and industry."

Currently, CCBC's School of Continuing Education offers American Welding Society-certified training through a partnership with Earlbeck Gases and Technologies. The establishment of a dedicated campus-based facility will allow CCBC to further enhance this collaboration, foster more training opportunities and forge direct employer partnerships to meet anticipated workforce training and employment needs.

Design and site preparation for the new Welding Training Center are already underway, with construction projected to be completed by December 2026. The first cohort of students is anticipated to begin their training in January 2027. These efforts contribute to CCBC's long-term goal of serving as the Baltimore region's premier center for skilled trade education.

"We are profoundly grateful to the Baltimore Community Foundation for this transformative $1 million grant," said CCBC President Sandra Kurtinitis. "This funding is not just an investment in our college; it's an investment in the future of our region. We are equipping individuals with the high-demand skills needed to rebuild the region's critical infrastructure and provide pathways to sustainable, family-supporting careers. CCBC is already a leading force in skilled trade education and addressing area workforce needs."

About the Community College of Baltimore County (www.ccbcmd.edu)
Since 1957, CCBC has opened the doors to accessible, affordable, high-quality education empowering generations of area residents to transform their lives and the lives of others. Each year, more than 50,000 students enroll at the college's main campuses, extension centers and online to make their starts, earn degrees, launch and build careers. CCBC offers the region's most expansive selection of degree, certificate and workplace certification programs that prepare students for transfer, job entry and career advancement in such industries as business, education, health care, information technology, cybersecurity, construction, and transportation. Designated as the "Best Community College" among the Maryland Daily Record's 2024 Reader Rankings, CCBC is also nationally recognized as a leader in innovative learning strategies and among the nation's top associate degree producers.

SOURCE Baltimore Community Foundation